Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1887-01-10
CORREspONDENCE,
The Growth of minneapolis and st.
Paul.

The Growth of Minneapolis and st.
Paul.
| MINNEAPoLIs, January 8.
To The Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
shall begin with what is nearest home.
Right opposite my residence there are a
couple of handsome houses going up that will
| cost when done about 900 apiece. Every
stone and brick thus far has been laid in hot
| mortar, the cold varying in intensity from
| 80 degrees above to as many below zero. All
the water has been taken from the pipes in
| my house. and nearly every morning the
latter have had to be thawed out. One set
of pipes burst and were replaced by the ma
| sons. We have to be neighborly about such
things out here This morning, the mercury
being 80 degrees below zero, had faint
hopes that work would stop; but since begin
ming this letter the men have arrived and
begun to mix their hot mortar, and cut and
place the long blocks of pink Kazota stone.
There has been great deal of building
done here during the past year. Nothing
seems to be able to stop it. Strikes, hard
times. rivalry of other cities, failure of crops
in parts of Dakota and other causes thf t
ought to call for at least a temporary halt
make no apparent difference. The booming
of this unique and exceptional city goes
right along if it were like Tennyson's
hrook-to go on 'forever. everl" There
were 4, 500 building permits issued in the year
1886, and the money expendtd d on these edi-
fees amounted to sum total of $11 500. 900.
Of course the rate of increase in popula-
ton corresponds with the erection of homes
and business blocks for newcomers TO occu-
py. The claim made by the more enthusias-
tic is that Minneapolis now has 175, 900 in
habitants, and nobody dares name a less
figure than $50, 900. Making every allowance
for northwestern boom and exaggeration, it
cannot be questioned that henceforth Mime
apoiis should take place among the cities
of first rank in this nation, especially consid
ering it's wealth, commerce and assured pros
poets. The latest published lists of R. G.
Dun & Co. show ,245 business houses in
this city, among which there were but
thirty failures during the past year.
Six million barrels of -four were made
and the total of all manufactured products
was $62, 500, 900. The jobbing and whole
sale trade amounts to $155, ,000, 900, while
the bank clearings are for the year $164, ,000.-
600. There have been actually recorded a.,
$50 transfers OF property, as against S,563
for the previous year. Some idea of the
lively work put in by dealers in real estate
may be had from the simple fact that over
one hundred and forty additions have been
accepted in 1885 by the city council, and
duly recorded by the registrar of deeds.
Now there is one thing that really is very
amusing, and that is the incredulity of our
eastern friends as to authentic facts like the
foregoing. People who would take the word
of an average citizen as to any occurrence in
Boston or in Philadelphia will read my first
paragraph and doubt the fact given on the
word of clergyman that masons go right
along with their work in spite of zero wealth
er; although here the thing is visible through
my study window, as I now lift my eyes
from the page on which I am writing! And
whya Because they say it is impossible.
And so with regard to the amazing growth of
the twin cities, Minneapolis and st. Paul They
continue to regard them as frontier villages,
although these creations of modern life keep
on breaking all former records, each sue
ceeding year eclipsing those that have gone
before But if our friends elsewhere want
to post themselves as to solid facts, somewhat
rose colored perhaps, yet well proven as to
essentials, let them send for the forty eight
page annual of the Minneapolis Tribune, of
which an edition of $50, 600 copies was issued,
and they can have regular surfeit of stun
ming statistics.
By the way, confrmatory of the above, L
may mention fight now going on over the
telephone question, which speaks volumes as
to the business done here. 1t appears that
there are 1891 telephones in Minneapolis
and S66 in st. Paul. The gross receipts from
the two cities are $11 400 month, or about
$136, 900 year. These figures are official
and not mere guess WOfk. IL mas just Oc-
CURED to the public mind that it is slightly
absurd to give the telephone company the
free use of the streets and other privileges,
allowing it to send yearly out of the State
at least two-thirds of the gross receipts,
paying meanwhile to that same company
the sum of 81 1850 for the use of telephones
in city offices, police stations, etc., in Mime
apolis alone, and, to cap the climax, letting
the renowned monopoly off with total tax
of only 81, 1875 year for the entire State of
Minnesota Could any one fact set forth
more vividly the general recklessness of a
western State, while also illustrating its rap
idly growing business that calls for such an
enormous telephone servicea
There is, of course, another side to all this
boosted prosperity. While many a fortune |
is mads here there are many people who fail |
and are stepped to their lips in poverty. Less |
is said about them. The kind-hearted ladies |
of our city gave holiday dinner to poor |
children None were admitted without tick |
cts, and care was taken in distributing these. |
The banquet was really ample and elegant. |
Turkey, tongue, ham and other meats,
biscuit, cakes, pies, jellies, candies,
nuts and other delicaeies were in abundance.
It fell to my lot to ask the divine |
blessing. and the task could hardly be |
done for my tears as I looked around over
the bowed heads of two thousand poor chill
lren gathered from the alleys and suburbs
and river-fats and representing nearly every
nationality on the globe. But probably most
IF those children expect to make money and
i've in fine houses some day, and doubtless
;he hopes of some OF them will be realized.
n. G. HovEY.